Angara backs tax breaks to ease burden on schools, educ partners

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MAKATI CITY, 8 April 2026—Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday underscored the vital role of existing tax incentives in helping schools and private partners manage rising fuel, transport, and operational costs amid the conflict in the Middle East.

According to Angara, these fiscal measures serve as a crucial buffer, allowing schools to sustain investments in quality education despite prevailing economic pressures.

 

“Aligned with President Bongbong Marcos’ priority to shield education from economic volatility, these incentives enable schools and their partners to maximize limited resources and free up funds for teaching and learner support,” Angara said.

“By reducing tax burdens, they help cushion the impact of rising costs and sustain continued investment in education,” he added.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd), non-stock, non-profit educational institutions remain exempt from income tax on revenues, provided these funds are used directly and exclusively for educational purposes.

Proprietary schools, meanwhile, continue to benefit from a preferential income tax rate of 10% under specific statutory conditions.

To further ease the financial burden on learners and their families, tuition and educational services remain exempt from the 12% value-added tax (VAT).

Angara highlighted other cost-mitigating measures, including tax- and duty-free importation of books and educational materials to offset rising logistics and shipping expenses.

Schools also benefit from tax credits for VAT paid on renewable energy equipment, which can be applied against income tax liabilities and support lower long-term operational costs.

President Marcos’ administration also reaffirmed its support for private sector participation in education through the Adopt-a-School Program, where donations are eligible for 150% deductibility.

Depending on the structure of the transaction, donations may also be treated as VAT-exempt or as a VATable “deemed sale,” with the corresponding entitlement to input VAT credits.

Under the Tax Code, donations may also be exempt from donor’s tax, provided they meet administrative use limitations to ensure resources are directed toward educational purposes.

Registered business enterprises (RBEs) donating capital equipment to government agencies, state universities, or DepEd-accredited schools may also qualify for exemption from donor’s tax and customs duties.

For companies investing in workforce development, DepEd said enterprises can avail of a 150% deduction on training expenses. This deduction is set to increase to 175% starting January 1, 2028.

Similar to schools, donors may also benefit from duty- and tax-free importation of educational materials intended for donation.

While these incentives offer a significant cushion, Angara reminded stakeholders of proper documentation, registration and compliance with regulatory requirements.

He added that DepEd remains committed to working closely with the private sector to ensure quality education remains accessible amid global inflation.

Angara orders nationwide rollout of orientations on key learning systems reform policies

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QUEZON CITY, 8 April 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) has begun a nationwide series of orientation sessions for school leaders and teachers to guide the implementation of key learning reforms, including the shift to a three-term school calendar starting School Year 2026–2027.



The rollout follows the directive of Education Secretary Sonny Angara to ensure that school officials and educators clearly understand the new policies as preparations for the next school year begin.



Angara said the orientations are meant to provide clear guidance to schools and ensure that the transition to the new policies is orderly and well supported.

“Magiging matagumpay lamang ang mga repormang ito kung lubos na mauunawaan ng ating mga guro at school leaders kung paano ito ipatutupad sa aktuwal na sitwasyon,” Angara said. “Sa pamamagitan ng mga orientation na ito, nais nating matiyak na handa at suportado ang ating mga paaralan para sa darating na school year.”



One of the first orientation sessions was held on April 8 at Miriam College in Quezon City. The session gathered education officials and stakeholders for an overview of reforms under DepEd’s Learning Systems strand.



"These policies aim for a humane system for teachers, learners, families that protects the conditions for real learning to happen,” Assistant Secretary for Learning Systems Jerome Buenviaje said.



Among the policies discussed were the three-term school calendar, revised guidelines on classroom assessment and grading, and the strengthened Senior High School curriculum. The session also covered flexible learning programs, learning continuity during emergencies, work immersion and off-campus learning for Senior High School students, and updated guidelines on lesson planning.



The policy reforms are part of a broader effort to improve the quality of basic education, strengthen instructional planning, and ensure that schools are better supported in delivering the K to 12 curriculum.



The orientation rollout will continue across the country, starting with regional and division officials and school heads who will help cascade the reforms to schools.



Orientation sessions for master teachers and classroom teachers are scheduled in May. DepEd emphasized that teachers will not be required to report during their 30-day break in April.



DepEd added that the phased orientation approach is designed to help schools prepare early while minimizing disruption to teaching and learning.

A World on the Precipice: Two Weeks of Silence in the Strait

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The ticking clock that echoed across the globe has, for now, fallen silent. In an era where "civilization-ending" rhetoric has become a hauntingly common currency, the United States and Iran have stepped back from the literal edge of the abyss.

Just hours before a deadline that threatened to ignite a regional—and potentially global—conflagration, a two-week ceasefire has been forged. It is a fragile bridge over a sea of fire, offering a desperate reprieve to a world held hostage by the specter of total war.

The 11th Hour: Crisis in the Strait

The tension reached a fever pitch following President Donald Trump’s harrowing ultimatum to "wipe out a whole civilization." As the deadline loomed, the global economy buckled; oil prices surged to historic highs, and energy flows—the lifeblood of modern society—stuttered toward a standstill.

The core of the de-escalation lies in the Strait of Hormuz. In a significant concession to a primary U.S. demand, the agreement mandates that the Iranian military will now coordinate vessel passage through this critical chokepoint. This "pause" has acted as a sedative for rattled global markets, providing immediate, if tentative, relief to an international community that was bracing for impact.

The Invisible Front: Cyber Warfare

While the missiles remain in their silos, a different kind of war rages in the digital shadows. Even as the ceasefire was signed, federal advisories were sounding the alarm over a wave of sophisticated Iranian cyberattacks.

These campaigns have moved beyond mere data theft, directly targeting the marrow of American life:

Energy Grids: Strategic disruptions to oil and gas facilities.

Public Safety: Incursions into water treatment plants.

Officials describe this as an asymmetric masterclass—a way for Tehran to exert crushing pressure without firing a single shot in the physical world. For the average citizen, the "front line" is no longer a distant desert; it is the kitchen faucet and the light switch.

Domestic Fractures and the Eye of the Storm

As the nation watches the Middle East, internal pressures continue to boil. In California’s Central Valley, a high-stakes confrontation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and an undocumented individual—alleged to be an 18th Street gang member wanted for murder—ended in gunfire.

The agency maintains that agents fired in self-defense after the suspect attempted to use a vehicle as a weapon. The incident has become a lightning rod for the ongoing debate over the safety of DHS agents and the volatility of domestic enforcement in a divided country.

Meanwhile, the Earth itself seems to be in revolt. Hawaii is currently bracing for a meteorological assault. Forecasts suggest a month’s worth of rain could fall in a matter of days, threatening to submerge islands like Oahu, which are still reeling from recent flooding. It is a stark reminder that while humans negotiate borders and ceasefires, nature operates on its own uncompromising timeline.

A View From Above: The Artemis Perspective

Amidst the grit of geopolitics and the fury of the elements, a glimmer of profound clarity arrived from the heavens. The NASA Artemis II crew, currently charting their historic lunar journey, released a series of breathtaking photographs of the Moon and the distant Earth.

In these images, the borders of the Middle East, the political divides of the Central Valley, and the storm clouds over the Pacific disappear. We are left with a humbling perspective: a fragile, blue marble suspended in an infinite void.

"From out there, the conflicts that feel all-consuming look like whispers. The Artemis photos don't just show us the moon; they show us the stakes of our own survival."

The Road Ahead

The two-week clock is already ticking. Whether this ceasefire is a true pivot toward diplomacy or merely a chance for both sides to reload remains to be seen. For now, the world breathes—shallowly, and with one eye on the stars—waiting to see what happens when the fourteen days are up.